Revisiting obstructed labour: experience at an emerging teaching hospital in Southwestern Nigeria.

Abstract

Obstructed labour, now globally recognized as a peculiar obstetric burden of developing nations, is of great reproductive health concern. The study aimed to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic and clinical correlates of obstructed labour in the institution of study.

The study was a retrospective descriptive one carried out at the Obstetric Unit of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Perinatology Department of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti from 1st of January, 2013 to 31st of December, 2017. The data obtained were processed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software version 20. Descriptive statistics was utilized to analyze the data; continuous variables were summarized with mean and discrete variables were summarized using numbers and percentages.

The prevalence of obstructed labour in the study was 1.2%(in 83 deliveries). The peak age of prevalence was in 25-29 years age group; with primipara accounting for the largest percentage, 51(63%) and most were unbooked, 72 (88.9%). Six (7.4%) of the babies were born asphyxiated; with 15(18.5%) requiring admission in special baby care unit; and 12(14.8%) intrauterine fetal death.The commonest intraoperative maternal complications were bladder injury(22.2%) and primary postpartum haemorrhage (14.8%).No maternal death was recorded during the study period.

It was concluded that obstructed labour remains a huge burden and prevention is key.There should be appropriate political will towards mounting strategies that would change community`s negative perception and attitude towards utilization of modern maternity care services.